Sydor Instruments Wins Multi-million dollar contract from UK Ministry of Defense

ROCHESTER, N.Y.

Sydor Instruments, a local manufacturer of ultra-fast imaging systems in Chili, NY has been awarded a major contract to supply nine Optical Streak Cameras to the UK government. The cameras will be an integral part of Project Orion, a new research center at AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) in Aldermaston, UK.

Project Orion is a world-class laser facility for the creation and study of hot dense matter and is the successor to HELEN (High Energy Laser Embodying Neodymium), which is reaching the end of its useful life. Sydor Instruments was chosen as the preferred supplier to manufacture the unique technology necessary to ensure accurate results for the project’s advancement.

“Sydor Instruments is the only company that could provide the critical calibrated software, which measures the power balance of high-intensity lasers used in high-energy physics, to assist the UK with the research,” said Michael Pavia, President of Sydor Instruments. “Sydor’s special technology is what draws customers world-wide to Rochester. The Sydor Optical Streak System is the only self-calibrating streak camera in the world.”

Sydor delivered the first of two camera systems early this year. This order represents an additional nine systems bringing the total order value with AWE to well over $3 million.
Sydor expects to add to its highly technical team in order to fulfill this contract through the end of 2009. “This creates a need for more engineers and technicians to help build these complex systems over the next year and a half,” Pavia said.

Sydor Instruments is the exclusive manufacturer of the ROSS (Rochester Optical Streak System) platform, which was manufactured through a licensing agreement with the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics.